In a radio access network, such as a cellular network, it is often important to ensure that sectors in the network do not become overloaded. One way in which a sector can become overloaded is if many access terminals (e.g., cellular devices) in a sector transmit at high data rates, which increases the transmission power. In a first Evolution Data-Only (1xEV-DO) network, the 1xEV-DO protocol provides mechanisms for measuring sector load (referred to as a “rise-over thermal (ROT)” measurement) and reducing the transmission rates of ATs in the sector by transmitting a bit (referred to as the “reverse activity bit”) to ATs in a sector that is becoming overloaded. However, ROT measurement may not always be not available, and, in these cases, a radio access network may fail to detect and mitigate overloading of a sector.